Carmenère vs. Malbec: A Clash of Titans

Here we are, after a VERY short delay, with our largest (published) tasting so far. This time, we are drinking five different wines, which again come from South America. This tasting is taking place in the back office of a friend who has a fantastic wine shop. While I write this, both him and Horace are already making themselves acquainted with a fine selection of cheeses that I am also looking forward to trying....

The first wine is a bottle of Hacienda Araucano Carmenere Reserva 2006, from the Colchagua Valley in Chile. We could not find out how much wood the wine has from looking into the website of Lurton wines.

In the nose, we perceive a hint of apricots and leather, a hint of pepper. In the mouth, the attack is soft, with a round and pleasant middle. There are notes of leather and tobacco. The alcohol and the tannins are well balanced. The wine is delicately complex.

I also have to add that, given its price, this wine is very good value for money. Another good thing is that the wine can be drunk now.

The second wine is a Séptima Los Pasos 2005 Malbec. This wine has 20 months of new oak cask aging and comes from Agrelo, in Mendoza province, Argentina.

At the first tasting it is still closed, but we can tell the large amount of wood in nose. There are some hints of chocolate, but it needs more time in the decanter. This wine is a good candidate to be aged for several more years, as it has the potential for a significant improvement with time.

The third wine is a Luigi Bosca Malbec DOC (Denomination of Origin) 2001. This wine was aged for 14 months in oak casks and comes from Lujan de Cuyo in Mendoza Province, Argentina.

In the nose, blackberries, dark fruit, prunes and mermalades are quite distinctive. Also, dry nuts and leather. In the mouth, the wine has an intense punch of full flavour, with a generous middle and an extremely long finish. A wine made in the traditional style of malbec, which we are also drinking at the right time, although it has the potential to keep a few more years. 


The Fourth wine is a Botalcura La Porfía Carmenere Gran Reserva 2006, from the Rapel valley in Chile. This wine was aged in American and French oak for 12 months.

In the nose, fine herbs, mint and eucaliptus, plus a variety of complex aromas. In the palate, the wine is balanced, with mint and chocolate notes, very balanced, long in the mouth, with velvet and a round finish. It must be noted that the style of this wine is different from the Hacienda Araucano, especially in terms of its intensity.

The last wine is a Lurton Piedra Negra 2002 malbec, from the Uco Valley in Mendoza province, Argentina.This wine (like the Hacienda Araucano) is also made by the Lurton family, which makes wines in different countries including France, Chile and Argentina.

In the nose, the aroma allows us to detect  a strong animal smell and leather. In the mouth, the wine is balanced, aromatic and full bodied, with a pleasant finish. Notes of marine salt, sulfur and other minerals are present, while, on a second level, blackberries, and smoke can also be detected. This interesting wine also has substantial aging potential. 

Now, let's see how the wines fare on our second tasting of each of them.

The second tasting of the Hacienda Araucano allows us to confirm the presence of chocolate and it reveals a bit of herbs in the nose.


The second tasting of the Septima shows notes of smoke and marmalades in the nose. The taste is gentle, caramell-like. It melds in the mouth. There is confiture of strawberries.After several hour of opening it, finally this wine is starting to reveal its secrets.

The second tasting of the Luigi Bosca reveals to the nose prunes, blackberries and a tad of chocolate and on a second or third level, cinnamon. In mouth, cinnamon and licorice, as well as a deep velvet of complex flavours of wood and a complex bouquet.

The second tasting of the Botalcura confirms the impression of an excellent representative of top-quality carmenere.

The second tasting of the Piedra Negra mantains the same characteristics: animal smells, leather and chocolate, as well as smoke. An amazing wine overall. Really, a pleasure to try this wine.

As all the wines are fantastic, we have decided not to grade them, as it would be unfair to some of them. Maybe on a future tasting we can bring together some more similar wines that will allow us to draw comparisons, but not tonight. Therefore, I will now sign of and help my friends with the draining of the decanters and cleaning up the cheese plates.....

IN VINO, VERITAS!